Under-fire Blackburn manager Steve Kean was left too open to criticism during the club's plunge into relegation, according to former striker Kevin Gallacher.

Kean's dismal season reached its nadir as Rovers were condemned to relegation from the Barclays Premier League by a 1-0 defeat against Wigan at Ewood Park on Monday night.

Kean has been the subject of taunts and banners from disgruntled fans throughout, and Gallacher said: "Things have been bubbling up with the fans. But they have been so used to having a chairman facing things up and taking things away from the owners, and there is nobody doing that now."

He added: "They need to get someone into the football club that is there. Unfortunately the only person that can do that is Steve Kean, the manager, so he is getting battered from pillar to post for basically doing a chairman's role while not getting the results on the pitch."

Rovers, one of only four clubs to have won the Premier League, have fallen into decline since their takeover by Indian poultry giants Venky's in November 2010.

Venky's made grand pronouncements about Champions League football and players such as David Beckham and Ronaldinho after their arrival but removed popular figures such as chairman John Williams and manager Sam Allardyce.

Rovers' season became a long struggle against relegation and it will now end with the outcome many supporters feared.

Gallacher, a member of the title-winning side of 1995, said: "It is very strange.

"I think we have been spoiled for many years having the likes of John Williams and Robert Coar around the club, able to right what is wrong in the fans' eyes. Now there is nothing there, there is no communication.

"That is hard to take for the fans. They want to have a say in it but feel there is nobody there to listen."